I'm Glad You're The Way You Are
by Hstreetvtblue143
Summary: Based on a dream I had one night, a girl named Bella is very self-conscious about herself because she has autism. One night she wishes she wasn't autistic anymore and then dreams about meeting Mister Rogers! Will he help her to see she's special just the way she is?


Author's Note: Hello readers! This is my very first fanfic ever written! Thank you for joining me! So, on with the story! Mister Rogers is one of my heroes, for obvious reasons, and I had a dream one night that he comforted me after a hard night dealing with autism. I have it in real life and I had this dream of him comforting me, but I'm using made up characters. Hope you like it! I don't own Mister Rogers Neighborhood.

Bella Crosse was the oldest of three children. Growing up with a brother named Tony, a sister named Emily, and two parents who love her and who love God, she was having a happy life. Even though life was good, no life is without obstacles, and hers was a mental challenge of the mind known as autism. It's not a disease or a tragedy, but it's not easy to cope with. She could talk just fine, but she struggled with sensory, motor skills were a challenge, school was hard, and the most unusual things could excite her, make her angry, scare her, or comfort her. Sometimes, her parents had no idea what to do to help her. It can be hard to raise someone with autism, but there's help everywhere.

The most unusual thing that comforted her was things children enjoy like children's books, children's shows, and toys even though she was 16. Her parents were respectful to her and so were her friends at school and Tony and Emily, but she still struggled. She doubted herself quite a bit and got upset with herself easily, especially when things that are obvious to other people weren't obvious to her. That made her feel stupid! Of course she wasn't stupid, she just had a different way of thinking.

It was still really frustrating for her that when she was in the classroom with her friends, they understood everything the teacher said and she needed it explained in a different way. Not to mention that random noises constantly distracted her when the teacher was talking like someone dropping something, a phone going off, someone walking down the hall, email alerts from the teachers computer, even little noises like the sound of air coming out a computer when it's on, the sound of the active board buzzing when that's turned on, or the AC turning on. She would get tutoring from the teacher or from her friends which did help. Autism is different for everyone who has it and that's the way it was for her.

With all this extra help she had to get from her family and friends, she felt like a burden. She felt a helpless person that always had earplugs with her and a stuffed cat for comfort. Of course she wasn't, but she felt like it. It was watching Mister Rogers with her little sister that really helped remember that she was special just the way she was. Even though Mister Rogers had died his messages hadn't gone with him, and Bella's parents knew that introducing their kids to Mister Rogers was best move they made! He was such an inspiration to them and now he was inspiring their children!

But, even though good days come, bad days exist, too, and Bella had the worst day of her life one Friday at school. Her sensory bothered her so bad when the AC was dying and it squeaked like crazy. It was so bad, she left the classroom without telling the teacher first. Her teacher, Mrs. Kimberly, was having a bad day, too, and it really made her mad when Bella left without telling her.

"You left because of the squeaking!?" Mrs. Kimberly scolded Bella when they were talking about it after class. "Oh my God! You are a big baby!"

"I know should've told you before I left, but I was in such a panic I didn't think about it," Bella replied.

"How can you not think about that!?" Mrs. Kimberly continued scolding. "And why am I reminding you this!? This is something you should have learned in kindergarten! I shouldn't have to tell you!" Bella was now mad as a hornet and was ready to cry. She had lost count of how many times she had been told that someone "shouldn't have to tell" her something and she believed in her heart that that is the most hurtful thing you can tell a child whether they have autism or not. She ran off leaving Mrs. Kimberly behind regretting the way she treated her student. She loved Bella and her unique way of seeing the world was inspiring to her, so treating her that way made her really distraught.

In the cafeteria, Bella was in line still holding back tears. After she got her food, she tripped and fell dropping her lunch causing the whole cafeteria to laugh. That time, her friends even laughed, which they immediately regretted as soon as they saw Bella stomping out of the cafeteria. In the bathroom, Bella was cleaning herself off the best she could when, finally, her stubborn tears made it out of her eyes and down her cheeks. Looking at herself in the mirror, she screamed and punched her reflection. Her friends went to check on her and saw that. They stood outside the bathroom to give Bella time to cool off and they made a circle, stood hand in hand, prayed for Bella, and begged God for forgiveness.

At dinner that night with her family, Bella's mom wanted to treat Bella to something she enjoyed so she made Bella's favorite meal, chicken and dumplings and mac and cheese, not realizing that she bought spicy chicken and the mac and cheese product she bought had jalapenos in it. Spices bothered Bella due to her sensory and it wasn't until she took a bite that everyone realized the meal wasn't made right. For everyone else, it took a while to realize the food was spicy, but Bella felt it as soon as she put it in her mouth. Everyone else loved the spicy chicken and dumplings and the jalapeno mac and cheese, but Bella's parents had to go back out and get the regular ones at a restaurant.

It was days like this when Bella really felt like a burden. She thought all she did that day was frustrate her teacher, give her friends something to worry about, and make her mom pay extra money just so Bella could have a meal that wouldn't make her sensory go off. While in bed, she snuggled up to her stuffed cat and tried to get calm enough to sleep which isn't for someone with autism no matter what kind of day they have.

"I wish I wasn't autistic anymore," Bella sighed sadly as she drifted off to sleep.

Bella woke up to her mom telling her she needs to get dressed because someone was coming over. She needed to watch Mister Rogers on YouTube in order to wake up. She giggled like a child to his silly song "We Are Elephants," but then she suddenly frowned because that made her realize her wish didn't come true. She also remembered that Mister Rogers had a song called "Wishes Don't Make Things Come True" all about how it takes doing to make things happen, not wishing. He was right, this wasn't a Disney movie and there was nothing that could get rid of autism.

Once Bella got dressed and turned her cell phone off, there was a knock on her bedroom door. She opened the door to reveal a familiar man wearing a red cardigan with a mismatched light-blue dress shirt, khaki pants with a brown belt, and black socks with navy blue sneakers. She knew who it was the moment he smiled and said "hello."

"MISTER ROGERS!" Bella yelled excitedly jumping up and down. Mister Rogers smiled.

"It is so nice meet you," he said.

"What are you doing here?" asked Bella.

"Well, I wanted us to have a visit in real life," Mister Rogers replied. "I've heard you've seen all my television visits."

"I have!" Bella said noticing he was also carrying a suit case. "What's in the case?"

"My friends from the Neighborhood of Make-Believe," Mister Rogers answered. "Would you like to meet them?"

"Yes, of course!" Bella said motioning for him to go into her room. "Come in, come in!" Mister Rogers walked in the room and sat on her bed while Bella closed the bedroom door and pulled her chair out from her desk and sat down. Mister Rogers pulled out Daniel Striped Tiger from his suit case.

"Now, here's Daniel Striped Tiger," Mister Rogers introduced.

"He's the shy one," Bella remembered.

"That's right," said Mister Rogers.

"Hi, Daniel," said Bella, "it's all right, I'm a little shy myself. That's why I have this gal is with me." Bella held up her stuffed cat.

"Oh, that's nice," Mister Rogers said in Daniel's voice. "What's her name?"

"Lady," Bella answered.

"Like Lady Aberlin and Lady Elaine Fairchild?" Mister Rogers said still in Daniel's voice.

"No, actually I got it from Lady And The Tramp," Bella corrected.

"Oh," Mister Rogers said in Daniel's voice smiling. They both laughed. Bella loved his laugh. Suddenly, the happiness Bella felt disappeared.

"Is something wrong that you would like to talk about?" Mister Rogers asked.

"No," Bella lied. "I'm fine, I-" She stammered and then she nodded. "I'm autistic."

"Oh, well, that's nice. You look at the world in a way no one else can." Mister Rogers said putting Daniel down on the bed.

"But I hate thinking like that!" A teary-eyed Bella said. "I'm nothing but a burden to my parents, my friends, my teachers, everyone I meet because of the way I think. People at school even tell me I don't think right. I wish I could think right! Why can't I!?" Bella cried hard as Mister Rogers got up from the bed and kneeled down at her level next to the chair.

"Bella," Mister Rogers said putting a comforting arm around her. "The ones who don't think right are the one who are saying those things to you. You are so precious and special just the way you are. And you are so loved by the one who made you. God."

"How do you know?" Bella asked still crying.

"He tells me every day," Mister Rogers said with a big smile on his face. "You know what?"

"What?" asked Bella. Then Mister Rogers sang:

"I'm glad you're way you are!  
I'm glad you're you!  
I'm glad that you do the things  
that you should do!  
I like how you look.  
I like the way that you feel.  
I feel that you  
have the right to be quite pleased with you!  
I'm glad you're the way you are!  
I think you're fine.  
I'm glad you're the way you are!  
The pleasures mine.  
It's good  
that you look the way you should.  
I wouldn't change you if I could  
cause I'm happy you are you!"

"You're serious," Bella said while her tears of sadness turned into tears of joy.

"Yeah, I am," said Mister Rogers. "You were wonderfully made by God and you are just so loved. By God, by your family, by your friends, and by me."

"I love you, too," said Bella as she and Mister Rogers shared an embrace.

"Bella," Emily said as Bella realized she was in her bed dreaming that whole thing.

"Good morning, Emily," said Bella.

"You feeling better?" Emily asked.

"Yeah," Bella replied. "I had the most amazing dream that Mister Rogers came to visit me!"

"Really!? Cool!" Emily said surprised. "What did you guys do?"

"Well, we talked and he showed me Daniel Striped Tiger and he sang that song from his Josephine The Short-Neck Giraffe play." Bella explained.

" 'We Are Elephants?' " Emily guessed.

"No," Bella corrected. " 'I'm Glad You're The Way You Are.' And boy did I need to hear that. I feel a lot better about myself than I did yesterday." After a pause Bella said, "you know what?"

"What?" Emily asked.

"I believe God sent me that dream to let me know through Mister Rogers that I'm okay just the way I am," Bella said. "And, Emily, you know what else?"

"What?" Emily asked. Then Bella sang "I'm Glad You're The Way You Are" to her sister. During the song, Emily joined in and then they sang the other version "I'm Glad I'm The Way I Am." They had a great time singing together.

Later that day, Bella's friends called her to apologize because of the day before. And that Monday, Mrs. Kimberly apologized, too. Bella forgave them all and from then on, anytime she felt she wasn't special or felt worthless or like a burden, she would remember that dream that God sent her and remember that she's fine just the way she is.

The End

Author's Note: Well, that's the story! I hope you like it and I hope it helps any of you guys who have autism like me. I believe this story is a great start for me writing fanfics to show my love for writing emotional and faith-based stories because I'm a Christian. So, what did you guys think? I thank God for this gift of writing and I thank you all for for reading this. Reviews will be helpful. See you next time! May God bless you!


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